Madness
by kat85513
Summary: This is long past the x-men days but there are still mutants everywhere. Everyone you have known has died of old age. However Wolverine's immortality has kept him here. He meets Carmen who is a scared 19 year-old who is "trained" to kill. A few cults want Wolverine dead, but when they find out who Carmen is. They might want her dead too.
1. Chapter 1

_**One of the main characters and the story idea belongs to MARVEL. So all rights for those two things got to them for so far in the story.**_

Logan sat in the driver's seat of rusty black pick-up truck on his way to California. Where he would finally escape from this place of misery. He had enough of the painful flashbacks for everything that reminded him of his painful past.

"You'd die for them?" she asked. Even though she was unmistakably uncontrollable, she was beautiful.

"No for you," The mighty Wolverine said as he killed her with the thrust of his silver claws. He sobbed as the chaos stopped and he was left with the body of his dead love.

Logan rubbed his forehead in emotional agony. He didn't even noticed the teenage girl hopping in his truck bed as silent as a cat if not more. Her name? Carmen Santiago. Her black hair was french braided out of her face with only a few wisps framing her face. A white scar framed her jaw line on the right side. Another above her eye brow. Many more hidden.

She flattened herself on the truck bed in exhaustion. She curled up in a ball despite her tight jeans. She was so exhausted she fell asleep despite the noise of a _Mardi Gras _parade behind the truck.

Logan turned up the radio to block the emotions. Everyone he had become close to in the X-Men days were dead of old age or died in battle. The school didn't even run any more. It was a shame, he thought. A few hours later he heard the unmistakably sound of someone in the truck bed. He jerked the truck off the dirt road and almost into a bayou. He saw a shape of person fly thorough the air but what happened surprised him. The person had landed on _her_ feet in a crouch. Her leather jacket open showing a black v-neck shirt and a dew visible white scars on her chest. She couldn't be more than 20.

He was even more surprised when she had bolted to him with a pocket knife and slammed him to the ground. He hadn't even realized he had gotten out the truck. Reality came back to him as he rolled her over and pinned her down with both hands on her wrists and legs on her ankles. She snarled but it dint match the scared look in her eyes.

"If i let go will you promise not to stab me because it shouldn't really effect me and it would be a sad waste of a rather good knife," he reasoned. That is also when he noticed her eyes again except this time for the color. They were an odd gold so striking she took his weakness and kneed him in the groin. When she got up she didn't run though. She just narrowed her eyes at him in amusement as he stumbled up. He was a bit rusty on his fighting considering he hadn't fought in over 30 years.

"What is your name?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Logan," he answered. "Yours?"

If it was even possible she narrowed her eyes even more. "Carmen," she answered finally. "Who are you?"

"I just told you I'm Logan," he said avoiding the question.

"I know you," she answered searching him.

"Well I don't know you," she answered heading back to the cab of the truck.

She followed him without ego, and at his protest she kept the door open even with his strong arms trying to close it. "I wouldn't Logan. I can rip this door off and shred it easily," she said.

"Are you threatening me?" he asks with narrowed eyes.

"I'm stating a fact," Carmen said bluntly.

"How old are you? Where are your parents, kid?" He asks.

"I'll answer your questions if you let me go with you," She answered. He thought it was strange how formal she spoke.

"Absolutely not," he answered reaching for the door. For a moment he caught the child look in her eyes. It reminded him of the kids from the school for mutants.

She looked strained as she said, "Please," with closed eyes.

"Fine. Misery loves company."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

They drove in silence for 20 minutes when Logan decided to break the awkward silence.

"Where you from?" he asked casually.

She hesitated, wondering if she could trust this burly man. Not yet. "North." was all she said.

Logan gripped the steering wheel tightly and rubbed his forehead. He was trying to get her to trust him. "I'm from Canada."

She raised an eyebrow at him but kept silent. She could tell when people were lying and he wasn't. It was the first time in a long time she felt guilty. She cleared her throat and said, "I'm from out of the country too." She still wasn't answering the question but it was the best the poor girl could do. She gripped her stomach where she feel it still bleeding on the bandage. Another scar.

She flashed back to when it happened. _"I'm not scared of you." Carmen said as she stood with her pocket knife ready to fight._

_ "You should be. We've been looking for you for a very long time," the other woman sneered. She whipped her whip right across Carmen's stomach surprising her. But she didn't scream. Carmen never screamed. _

_ It was a blur as Carmen jumped on the dumpster in agony and then proceeded to jump on the woman and stab her in the heart. Easy, but there would be more._

Carmen came back to reality as Logan continued to call her name. He was reaching to nudge her and she flinched. He gave her sad eyes and then kept driving. She hated being touched. She squeezed her stomach again and that's when her instincts kicked in. We're being followed. "Logan-" she started. This poor man was going to get killed because of her. However the truck that ran them off the road cut her off.

Logan had immediately gotten out the car with his hands in fists. Carmen was slowly exiting the car in pain.

"Wolverine, we have been looking for you," said a hispanic man in a suit coming out of the backseat of the car along with other men all armed. Realization slapped Carmen in the face. Logan was the Wolverine. He was the man who saved all mutants and humans about 30 years ago. He was a mutant like her.

Carmen went into a mode where all pain disappeared as she put her hands on her jacket pockets around the knife. When the hispanic man saw her he looked surprised. "You're a little old for her don't you think?" he sneered.

_If only he knew._ Carmen thought. Logan growled in response. She couldn't understand why he wasn't attacking. She would've helped. However she was still surprised by the fact they looking for him and not her.

So when the men took them into hostage Carmen played along in being a human.

Logan had no choice but to go into custody. If he had fought Carmen would've been killed instantly. Or so he thought. They were rushed into the truck where men aimed guns at their faces. Shortly they arrived at a warehouse where more men with guns waited for them. Pushed into side by side chairs in handcuffs the hispanic man came in front of them. Carmen had already picked her handcuffs and was ready to fight any second. the man tilted her head up in amusement.

"You look so confident yet you are in handcuffs and Wolverine is chained to the floor," he said.

She remained in silence. The man slapped her and Logan jerked his chains. Carmen barely flinched. She was still in the mode. "You're a tough human that's for sure," he said. "Take care of her Antonio." Again Logan jerked on the chains in frustration. _I guess now is the time to show myself._ Carmen thought as she sneered and was lifted from her seat. As they lifted her above ground she broke her hand cuffs in one swift movement and flipped herself so that the man carrying her was being strangled by her thighs around his neck. The man had barely even realized what was happening it went by so fast. Carmen proceeded to break every man's neck in the room except for the one obviously in charge. She walked like a predator to him and he was just about to scream as he turned to run but she grabbed him and slit his throat from behind.

Logan was looking at her in shock. It was a new look for him that was for sure. He had barely seen anything because she obviously had super speed but when she pounced on the man he realized she had killed every man in he room except for him. She gripped her stomach like she had in the truck and walked over to him. She picked his handcuffs to the floor with her bloody knife. "I obviously never had to worry about you getting killed," Logan said as he rubbed his wrists.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

She looked at the floor in shame as she picked up 9mm and put it in the back of her leather pants and picked up a machine gun. "You can go ahead and leave if you want," she said avoiding eye contact. "I'm going to search the building for some things."

Logan followed her out the door. "Um, no, you owe me explanation," Logan said. She shot the two guarding the door and moved on.

"I owe nothing to anyone," she said pushing him away.

"No, you do not just get to push me away just because you don't want to admit you're a mutant like me and 25% of the world!" Logan yelled in frustration.

She whipped around. "You are not one to talk Wolverine, you've been hiding for 30 years!" Logan noticed she talked with an odd accent almost medieval sounding. "Now lower your voice there is probably more men."

Logan narrowed his eyes and followed her brisk pace down the hall. She jumped back suddenly making Logan stumble. Soon enough she had her thin arms around an armed man's neck and he was knocked out. "How are you doing this?" he asks even though shortly after he realizes it was a stupid question.

"I guess you could said my "power" of being a mutant is killing," she said grimly and bluntly.

Another man came around but before Carmen could get him Logan with his advanced reflexes extended his claws into his stomach and pulled out vastly. Logan expected a horrified reaction but she looked just plain irritated. "I had that one." Was all she said.

Finally the two reached a door to a room filled with experiments and drugs. Only two men were in this room. Carmen dropped on one knee and shot each one with ease. She jogged inside and started frantically looking through cabinets. "What are you looking for?" asked an irritated Logan.

"Not all of us can heal automatically, kitty," she said. That's when his senses kicked in for the first time in ages. People were coming. CLoser than he thought.

When he turned around to tell Carmen, she was stuffing boxes of things in a bag and then running outside through a side door which immediately set off an alarm. Logan ran after her claws extended, ready to fight. He followed her all the way to a very nice convertible. She jumped in the front seat high jacked it, barely waiting for Logan to get in the car.

For the first time since Logan first met her Carmen looked in pain and nervous. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing of your concern," she said formally.

She whipped the car out of the lot and drove straight through the fence which set off yet another alarm. Logan grunted in irritation and finally said "Kitty?"

She shrugged and drove out of the area at full speed all the way until we crossed into Texas. "We lost them," she sighed and pulled into a high-end hotel.

"And how are we supposed to afford this?" Logan asked in scrutiny.

She didn't answer but parked the car and walked straight into the hotel with posture unlike the fact that she just killed at least 20 people and stole a car.

"Hello will you be checking in with us tonight?" asked an old bell hop man with an upturned nose at our dirty and sweaty clothes.

"Yes," she answered while she handed him a roll of cash and he in return gave us a key, surprised.

Logan followed Carmen in an elevator all the way to the top and they arrived a large suite with computers, televisions, separate rooms and a kitchen.

"Damn." Was all that cam rout of Logan's mouth as his eyes bulged. "How can you afford this?" he finally asked.

"I stole it." She said matter of fact.

"Do you steal everything?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Humph."

"If you are going to stay here the few days don't judge me or leave."

"Okay," Logan said, making sure he didn't sound judgmental. "You still owe me an explanation."

"You can interrogate me after I take my shower," she said, walking into the room on the left and closing the door.

Carmen walked into the room and as soon as the door was closed, immediately ripped her clothes off and stepped into the hot shower and let the water rush over the horrible reopened gash on her stomach. She bit her lip in pain and undid her hair. Despite the pain her mind wandered to Logan. If she could trust him. Everyone else she had trusted betrayed her but he seemed different. Stubborn and confused like her.

After she finished washing every inch of grime off herself she slipped on her jeans and zipped up her jacket and stepped out onto the balcony. The drop to the lower balcony wasn't far enough to break a limb so she jumped, landed easily with grace and broke into the suite. Luckily the people who stayed there were out. Carmen snuck in and carefully looked through the drawers and grabbed a pair of sleep wear and an outfit for her and Logan

Carmen walked out of the hotel room casual and took the elevator back up to her suite wear Logan was obviously still in the shower because she could hear the shower running. She went back into the room changed and took another look at the wound. If she didn't hurry it would infect more than it already had. Carmen took the boxes of antidote she stole and rubbed it on slowly and painfully. She couldn't help but scream through clenched teeth and before she could count to ten Logan was running towards her redressed and worried.

"Where the hell did that come from?" he asked in surprise rushing over.

"Before I met you and don't worry I'll be fine." she said irritated but a secret warmth of someone being genuinely worried about her spread through her. After she put the cream on she tried wrapping it but frustratingly failed. Logan wrapped it against her protest and she pulled her shirt back down to cover her stomach.

"Can I start my interrogation?" Logan asked with his thick brows still furrowed in a concerned expression.

"Sure," Carmen sighed.

"Where are you from?"

"Europe."

"Where in Europe?"

"England"

"Why don't you have a british accent?"

"Moved away a long time ago."

"How old are you?"

"19."

"How long have you been 19?"

A pause.

"Since 1786."


	4. Chapter 4

He just looked at her. Unaware of himself staring. She was older than he was. Than all the sudden she shrunk into a six-year-old and then proceeded to turn into Logan's age and he suddenly got a strange feeling in his gut; her gold eyes vulnerable. "This is the age I normally stay," she said.

He sat on the bed next to her. "Tell me everything you can do," he said staring a the wall.

"I am immortal, and I can change my age."

"I though you said you could kill."

"Thousands of years of training and surviving can do that to you."

"You can't heal though,"

"No," Carmen then braided her hair and said not looking at him, "I am very tired. If you want to leave I don't blame you. There are a lot more people looking for me than you."

Logan said nothing and walked back into his room. Thoughts swirled through his mind. He'd never met someone who was immortal like him. He was confused and was empathetic towards her. Those sad gold eyes…stop. He told himself. He didn't want anyone feeling sorry for him.

There he slept. On the bed on top of the covers. He never even noticed Carmen as she shifted a bag over her shoulder. Never noticed her leaving a note next to his hand. Never noticed her leaving. Never noticing her sad eyes look at him as she walked out the door.

Carmen was exhausted but she knew she couldn't stay there. They would catch her and him if she stayed. She couldn't risk putting him in danger. Even though she knew what he could do it was nothing compared to what they would do. She shivered. Carmen ignored the voice in her head reminding her of last time she old someone about her true self. How he had turned her in for money and they tortured her for answers but never got any. Then she escaped and never told a soul again for another 40 years. Until Logan. Another voice whispered that she could trust him. She ignored them both and hopped on a shuttle to a cruise where she would sneak on and get off. She didn't know that Logan would find her. Ten years later at least.

Carmen sat in a bar in Mexico. Drinking and watching a woman as she rolled dice and moved them with her eyes. A mutant. They're everywhere. "Can I have bud light," a voice said husky and right next to her. Carmen froze. Logan. Ten years and he had found her. She slowly set down her beer and gulped. He plopped down next to her.

"So you found me," Carmen said and took another gulp. she had never been so nervous before.

"I never stopped, since you left me that note," he said still not looking at her and she never looked at him.

"I was long gone before I left," Carmen said suddenly getting up and threw some cash on the bar. She weaved through the crowd and Logan right behind her. Once they were out of the bar and reached an alley Carmen stopped. "I don't understand why you kept looking or even started."

"Face it Carmen I need you and you need me. So far you are the ONLY person I have ever met that has been immortal like me and I'm not passing that up and from the shitty note you left I could tell you were going to regret this," Logan said almost angry.

Carmen just looked at him; her guards down. Her medieval accent was coming out as she spoke with her voice shaking. "You-you need me? How do you need someone who is as closed off as a castle? How can you need a killer?"

"I need someone who I can trust and I know will trust me. That's you, Carmen. The minute you told me I could tell something was up and that secretly you need my help but won't admit it. Look me in the eye and say you never regretted leaving that night.

Carmen's lips quivered for the first time in ages. Literally. She looked at him in the eyes and spoke. "I never-" The lie never came out and neither did the single tear of someone needing her for she ran. Back to her dingy apartment where she ran in and closed the bathroom door, sinking against it. Her mind flew back to him. Ben. Sweet Ben. He was a mutant like her. He could electrify someone with a single touch. Literally.

He was her first love. The first he thought she really loved anyway. His sandy hair and pointy small nose made him look so sweet. She was in love with him. One day he took her on a surprise date and then turned her into the Vipers. The people who wanted her. She swore she would never love anyone else for it was just going to end badly. She swore she would never trust or befriend anyone ever again. Carmen felt Logan sit next to the other side of the door.

"I need your help," Carmen said softly. "Will you?"

"Of course. That's what friends are for right?" To correct the cheesy line he said, "I got nothing else better to do." Trying to be macho.

A faint smile teased Carmen's mouth. It quickly changed into a grimace and a determined stony face. The people hunting her. The Vipers would no longer hurt her, scare her and make her run away. She was going to shut them down with the help of Logan.


	5. Chapter 5

Carmen lay in bed and listened to the sound of Logan's breathing on the couch. She thought about leaving but she knew he would just find her again. She understood what he meant when he said that they had to stick together 'cause of their immortality. Doesn't keen she liked it. She was constantly terrified of everyone and everything. So when she thought about leaving she thought about the note she left. She had memorized every word.

_Dear Logan,_

_I'm sorry I know this isn't fair. I know how happy you were to find someone like you. However I am a basket full of hell. Or however that goes. So I apologize but you don't want any thing to do with me. I'm not right in the head as they say. Please don't look for me. You're better without me. Goodbye._

_Carmen_

She regretted it deep down knowing he was someone she could trust but she convinced herself no one wanted her or needed her and that she didn't need anyone. She was wrong little did she know Logan had always thought the same thing. Logan slept. He was still fearful that she would leave again but eventually he decided she was going to stay and relaxed.

The next morning Carmen woke to the smell of something burning. Sh bolted up grabbed her leather jacket and shook Logan awake. "Get up! We're under attack!" She screamed. Logan swiftly rolled off the couch and together they ran out the trashy apartment as it exploded. Carmen was thrown in one direction and Logan in the other. The smoke rose in the air as alarms went off. People screamed in terror as they watched.

Carmen screamed through clenched teeth as she rolled around in the mud until the fire went off. Uncontrollable tears came. Carmen got up slowly and stumbled backwards into a man as he caught her. "NO! NEVER AGAIN!" Carmen screamed as she tried to get away from him but his arms held her in place but his voice was drowned out by the sirens.

Finally despite her protests he picked her up easily like a sack of flour and jogged to an ambulance. Once the man set her down he jumped inside steeling everything he could find and packing it into bags. At that point Carmen was in drastic pain so much she couldn't move. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was Logan as he picked her up again.

Logan jogged through the crowd with only a few glances to them. "Come one Carmen, stay with me," he pleaded as he ran with her. He was suddenly pulled from behind.

"I'm a friend of hers, I can help, trust me," a thick spanish accent said. Logan followed him only at the risk of Carmen's life. Thoughts rushing through his head. The last time he held someone like this in this state was Gene. He mentally slapped himself. Carmen wasn't going to die. Life wasn't that cruel.

He followed the man in the hat into an apartment complex. Inside the home was Medicine everywhere and a table with dead flowers. Not a good omen, Logan thought. The man cleared the table with his hand and Logan quickly lay Carmen down. He finally got a good look at her and her wounds.

Her face was badly beaten up and she was bleeding from the thigh and right below her chest. Logan rubbed his eyes and watched as the man pulled a machine on a pole with wires hooked up to it. He gave Carmen and IV and started pumping on her chest. Finally Carmen coughed and hacked but passed out again. But she was breathing. Logan sighed in relief.

"Why do you have all this?" he asked the man as the Mexican put his hat on the counter.

"I help the big time gangs around here after a fight in exchange for _things_," he sighed.

"How do you know Carmen?" Logan continued, trying not to infer on the way he said things.

"She helped me on a little disagreement and _Mi Amigo_ relax I will not hurt her or you," he said as he continued working on Carmen. He ripped her jeans with a scalpel and examined her. Little shards of glass were all indented into her thigh. Logan winced. "My name is Carlos by the way."

"Logan," was all Logan said. Carlos picked each piece of glass out and then sewed it up. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes, she passed out from lack of oxygen but yes she will be okay," Carlos said as he proceeded to rip Carmen's blood stained white button up open and examined the small cur below her left breast. He neatly sewed that up to.

"You might want to clean her up before you leave again. You did good grabbing those supplies," Carlos said.

Logan lifted Carmen up delicately and set her on the bed. He grabbed a wash cloth and wiped away the blood and grime. He stared at the millions of scars all over her body. Logan grazed his callused thumb against them in sympathy. He didn't even noticed the fact Carmen had woken up again. Carmen took a small intake of breath at the touch of some one on bare skin.

Logan got up and searched though the drawers until he found some women's clothes for her and layer them on the bed and walked out. Carmen sat up slowly and wearily remembered what had happened but all she could think about was Logan. His arms around her. His urgency to save her. The way he grazed the scar on her abdomen. She shook the thought away and pulled on the faded light blue sweater and blue short shorts her legs protesting at that much movement. She knew she needed to rest but she also knew the Vipers would eventually find her. She needed to leave.

She walked steadily out slightly staggering. she caught a glance of Logan changing out of his seared off shirt and into and black shirt hoodie. She quickly glanced away and slipped into her combat boots.

Logan watched as Carmen exchanged thanks and protests to stay with Carlos in spanish. He hair was down and hit her shoulder blades in beach-waves.

Carmen then nodded to Logan to follow her as she left. _She was finally letting him,_ in Logan thought in satisfaction. He followed her all the way to a bus stop where they waited in silence.

"Where are we going?" Logan asked, breaking the silence.

"I think it's time I face my demons. I figure you're not going to leave me alone so I thought we might as well take out one of Viper's bases." Carmen answered.

"And where is that?" Logan asked.

"My home," she answered bluntly. "I lied before about England Logan. I am from Siberia. In Russia."


	6. Chapter 6

Logan watched the water ripple as they passed over the Atlantic Ocean. He wasn't keen on heights and really had never flown before but next to him Carmen sat calmly as she listened to music on a stolen i-phone. He found it wrong that she was doing that but also knew better than to judge her.

"Why don't you tell me about your time in Russia?" Logan asked trying to get his mind off the heights.

She pulled out her headphones. "I came over with my mother who was a slave from South America. She was pregnant then and I was born in Siberia. I was enslaved by a young king at the time," she said plainly. She couldn't hide the fact that her walls were going up from Logan however.

"If we're going to work together you need to trust me," Logan sighed in frustration.

Carmen pursed her lips. " When I was sixteen and I had eyes following me wherever I went. I hated it. The girls would get jealous and get their guards to beat me up," she breathed in. "That was the first time I had ever been attacked. That was also the first time I changed my age. Suddenly I was an eight year-old who when I was being beaten up, the surrounding people suddenly protected me while he guards looked at me in horror. I remember looking at my small hands and then running away while they fought. I forced myself back to my normal age. By the time I got back to the kingdom word had gotten around about what had happened. The court was disgusted. Everyone but the King who was curious and excited to use me. From then on I was trained like none other as a soldier and spy. When I was still 16 and the young king was 89 we knew I was immortal too. I was a legend in my kingdom," she stated bitterly. "Everywhere I walked people bowed like I was the queen. At the time it felt good. Like I wasn't a freak. Then I realized they were bowing because they were terrified of me. I'll never forget the look on their faces. A few weeks passed and the kingdom was attacked. I fought with the soldiers but the king called me back to hide me. 'They want you,' he said. I remember the guilt I felt of having put this kingdom through fear and disaster," she swallowed.

"So I ran. I remember grabbing supplies and running. Away from the kingdom. I hid in caves throughout my journey through Siberia. Killing wolves who attacked me with a single knife," she stopped and reached for her knife, but realized it was in the cargo. She frowned but continued. "My eyes freaked every traveler I passed. A year later I made my way back to the kingdom. There was nothing there. The whole place was demolished and in rubble. There was no one there. No one. The graveyard where my mother was buried; was destroyed. The castle gone. I then made my way to he nearest kingdom. I am not gong to tell you my whole life story for that would literally centuries but that was my main time in Siberia. The people who attacked my kingdom eventually developed into the Vipers and would hunt me down for my immortality. I know you're thinking why haven't they been looking for you and the answer is you have always hidden in the background until you saved the mutants. I have been to every country to search for a home. I have helped in many wars on the side I thought was right. The American Civil War, both world wars and even current wars. I know everything about everyone. You could say I'm a weapon of mass destruction for if I went to one counter any gave them the knowledge they would power over the rest and conquer everything. The Vipers want me. I don't know what else they have done for I have stayed as far away as possible. There you have it Wolverine." Carmen sighed sleepily.

"When is the last time you slept?" Logan asked.

Carmen snorted. "Out of all the things I just told you, you don't run away or think of using me or ask questions but you ask if I've slept recently?" Carmen asked.

Logan leaned against the side of the airplane and thought about how much more lonely Carmen was then him. He drifted off and slept with a plenty full of dreams. In the mean time Carmen waited until he was fully asleep and curled up in her chair. She rested her head on Logan's shoulder and thanked god silently for putting someone in her life that understood her.


	7. Chapter 7

Logan clenched the arms of the plane seat as they touched down in Moscow with a bang. He squeezed his eyes closed. As they pulled into a slow crawl to the gate. Carmen bit her lip trying not to laugh. Her hair framing her face in a pony tail. Logan scowled at her but secretly wished she would smile more often.

They went through security and got their bags. Their fast pace through the airport left others into the dust, leaving them to catch the first cab to the train station. Logan stood awkwardly as Carmen spoke russian fluently as they got their tickets to Yakutsk. He watched her expression as they got their seats in the nearly empty train. Unlike most people's expressions when they return home, like excitement and joy hers was grim and depressing as if she would rather be in the middle of Nebraska. That's saying something, Logan thought in his head for he had been there before.

Carmen studied him with her golden eyes behind her long thick lashes. He had grown a stubble over the past few days and that only grew Carmen's unwanted attraction to Logan. "Lets play the question game," Carmen stated.

"The what?" Logan snorted.

"I'm sure you have questions about me and i have some for you as well Wolverine so why not make it a game. We have days until we even reach Yakutsk even with the high-speed train," Carmen replied casually.

"Ok so how do you play?" he sighed.

"Well we ask questions and take turns," Carmen said.

"How many languages do you speak?" Logan asked.

"28," Carmen answered and Logan responded with a whistle. "Where are your from Wolverine?" Carmen purred.

"Canada," Logan responded.

So the game went on with this as they smiled and sometimes laughed. Admiring each other secretly. Eventually Carmen fell asleep against the cold window leaving Logan to his thoughts. He wanted to make her laugh more. He wanted to tear apart whoever made her this sad. He had feeling h was going to meet them ver very soon. He then thought of the more serious questions he wanted to ask her. Like if she ever wished to die. The way he did. With that happy thought he fell asleep to the roaring of the train outside the window penetrating his hearing.

Carmen woke up slowly for the first time in a while. She blinked at the trees passing the window in a blur. The sun still coming up leaving the woods in a warming glow. It was still as beautiful as Carmen remembered it. The small towns they were passing as they got closer and closer to her vengeance. She didn't know what to expect. She just knew that she was tired of running away so she would run to them. She turned to look at Logan. He was still sleeping with his head on his hand propped up on the seat. So Carmen got up and went to the train bathrooms.

She walked drowsily out of their compartment and pass the other few sleeping passengers. She stopped knowing she had to disguise herself since they were eating closer. She stepped into the stealth part of her mind and went into the first compartment where a woman in a strange outfit slept across the booth. Carmen pulled the bag off the shelf and found just her luck hair dye, fake nails, colored contacts and a set of clothes completely different from what she was wearing. She put the bag back still wondering why that woman had that stuff.

Carmen snuck out again and went into the train shower. Where she showered and put the die in her hair. She checked on Logan while it was still soaking into her hair. He was still sleeping except he had put his back to the window and his feet on the seat. Carmen had forgotten how fast she moved. It had been only 30 minutes.

Carmen went back to the hall of compartments and snuck in another and applied make-up so that her skin was even more flawless and her eye make-p was a soft brown that would compliment the new color of her eyes. By the time she was finished she put everything back into the other woman's bag and hurried back into the bathroom the wash the die out and blow dry her hair with the provided hair dryer. She changed into the turquoise blue crop top and the light blue almost white faded jeans. Careful not to draw attention she layer the stolen foundation on her flat stomach to cover the scars. She kept her leather jacket and put the contacts on. She came out another 40 minutes later to find Logan frantically jogging through out the train looking for her.

"Logan I'm right here," Carmen said urging him back to the compartment as she closed the door.

Logan scanned this new person in front of him. It wasn't carmen yet it was. Her whole appearance was different but her sly posture was the same and the glint and sadness in her now icy blue eyes was still there. Her red hair cascaded over her shoulders. "You look like the little mermaid," Logan said as he realized his mouth was still hanging open.

She tilted her head in confusion. "Is that a compliment or.." she trailed off as she did not know what the little mermaid was.

Logan finally sat still utterly confused. "Why the get-up?" he asked.

Carmen made a small smile with her glossy lips. "We are only a day away. I'm simply disguising myself for an easier way to get there. If any of the vipers see me we will never make it there free and alive." she said. "So my name is Sasha from Moscow who is an aspiring make-up artist and is looking for inspiration in Moscow for a movie she is working for."

"Alright then, I'm Jack your director who is accompanying you," he ran his finger through his hair in mockery.

Carmen giggled. Logan smiled. The tension was insane each one wanting to lunge towards the other. Finally Logan cleared his throat awkwardly and Carmen darted her eyes. "I think we need a plan for the invasion," Logan said.

So for the next two hours Carmen sketched the layout of the warehouse. It was two stories of solid rock with rooms everywhere.

"I have only ever been in the prison cells and the lab," Carmen choked on her own words and breathed as images of being tortured flashed in her mind.

Logan tossed the book aside lifted Carmen's chin. "What did they do to you Carmen?" he asked gently.

Carmen took a deep breath and said, "They strapped me to cold metal tables and took my blood and inserted chemicals inside me that never did what they intended to do. They wanted to make me heal like you. They wanted me to be their weapon. "Their Master piece" is what they called me. After a month or so i stole the guards knifes one by one for another month. One day i put the knifes around my body and fought my way out. throwing knifes and slashing with them. I must have killed hundreds. I survived in caves for a year and finally made my way to America." Carmen couldn't believe that she was dying and angrily brushed them away.

"Carmen-" Logan started.

"Don't," Carmen said fiercely as she scooted away from him.

"No you don't," Logan said with just as much force. Carmen started to say something but Logan quickly cut her off. "You don't get to just hold everything inside and run away. You have to let go whether you want to or not. Believe me I'm not one to be talking but everyday since I've met you I've seen this sad, haunted look in your eyes. Every time I see you laugh it goes away and it make me want to fix you even more." At this point Logan had pulled Carmen into his lap as she struggled and punched his chest trying to get free. Every word he said just made her cry more. Eventually she stopped punching and crying.

She looked down and said, "The worst part is I can't stop living. I've tried so many times just to kill myself because I was tired of living and running but every time I survive. Instant death doesn't work. Nothing. It's like that's the only thing that heals. As if what the vipers did only works in fatal times."

Logan smoothed her hair as she sat in his lap in a curled ball and fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Logan woke to Carmen stirring in his lap. Her now red hair had remained perfect from her slumber. She blushed as she got up and straightened her clothes. Carmen looked out the window and her face turned grim just s a russian voice came over the intercom. "He says we're five minutes out," Carmen told organ as she zipped her jacket and pulled the jacket underneath's hoodie on her head making her red hair cascade down her shoulders.

"It's like 1 a.m.," Logan protested.

"I hope you didn't plan on getting much sleep wolverine," Carmen smirked as she slipped red heels on.

"Don't you think those are a little unreasonable," Logan gestured towards the shoes as he straightened his clothes out.

"You'd be surprised how good a stiletto can trade for a knife," Carmen laughed.

Logan's eyes widened and followed her out the compartment. "We need to get off the train first so those people don't notice what i stole," Carmen said. She slipped into another compartment with a stolen leather backpack he hadn't noticed before and when she came back out she had it stuffed with who knows what.

As soon as the doors opened Carmen stepped out and fake yawned as Logan scratched his head dying to fake exhaustion as they didn't know who was watching. Carmen in sited they took extreme measures. They walked along the road leading to nowhere and nowhere was exactly where they needed to go.

"We could have gotten a cab," Logan grumbled as he walked next to Carmen.

"Do you want to have word around that we are stopping in the middle of no where which just so happens to be the base in which I was experimented on," Carmen snapped back as Logan followed her down the road."

"Don't get all pissy with me," Logan retorted.

She whipped around. "I have a right to be troubled Logan! I have told you almost everything about me and when I try to get you to do the same for me you shut me out! Who is Gene?" she said the last bit more gentle than before.

Logan paled and got stony. "How do you know about her?" he said without emotion. Total poker face. "You talk about her in your sleep. You yell her name and you say your sorry for loving someone else and you say you had no choice." Carmen answered gently but with a fire in her eyes.

"The war you know me from. When people knew me as Wolverine. There was a team," Logan took a deep breath and walked next to Carmen down the dirt and icy road. "There was a school for mutants as you know. No one runs it now. everyone who did is dead, but then the people who ran it had a team called the x-men. I was one of them. There was someone who had lasers for eyes. Someone who could control storms. Someone who was a big blue giant. Two telepathic ones. One of them was Gene. Our biggest enemy was leaded by Magneto and his followers. They wished to rule the world. At the time mutants weren't accepted. They were a "disease"," Logan scowled but continued. A mutant was born and was found as a child. He could get rid of the mutants. You could be stripped of your powers and be human. One of the girls at the school could kill someone by touching them. She got it. A war broke out against us who were protecting the government and the little boy who Magneto and his followers were trying to kill. Gene had gone over to their side. I was in love with her," Logan took a shaky breath. "In the end the rest of the x men were trying to survive and all that was left was Gene. Her hair had grown out she had lost too much weight, her eyes had gone dark from so much power she was exerting from herself. There was a wave of water behind her and she had levitated everything. Whoever got near her, her power stripped them of their life. My skin just kept coming back. I told her that she didn't have to do this. Then the government tried to fire the mutant cure bullets at her and she snapped ready to wipe out the entire island we were fighting on. She asked 'You would die for them' and i said 'no for you' and then i-," Logan breathed through his now trying to stay calm. She was about to kill the entire San Francisco. I- I extended my claws and killed her. Everything fell including me as i held her in my arms and stroked her hair. I promised i would never love again."

Carmen stayed silent. Letting that sink in. She then asked questions about everything except Gene in which Logan was grateful. It went like this for the next two hours and the Logan sensed a car coming. "Carmen get behind that bush now!" Carmen said, shoving her. They dived behind and curled to hide.

A few seconds later a car passed. It was a war jeep loaded with russian men who probably wouldn't appreciate them trespassing into their country. Logan exhaled and realized he was crouched over Carmen who still looked beautiful even though she had a completely different appearance.

The hoodie was still over head even as she layer in the cold dirt with Logan hovering over her. She didn't dare exhale for she would touch Logan's chest. They stared at each other for a minute. Two minutes. Three. Four. The sexual tension was insane.

Finally Carmen couldn't stand it anymore. A burst of crazy courage coursed through her and she pulled Logan down to her face and leaned up kissing him. She ran her fingers through the bottom of his hair on his neck as he duped her neck with one hand and her waist with the other. They kissed until the sun came up. Nothing more than that. Just kissing. Both in bliss and their desire finally Logan pulled away and memorized her face.

The timeless look she always had. Like she could be 20 or 40. Carmen memorized Logan's. Th stubble on his jaw and the point of his hair. His cold eyes suddenly warm. They kissed slowly this time and with less force. As if they all the time in the world. But of course they did.


	9. Chapter 9

Carmen and Logan walked the rest of the way in silence. An awkward yet an understanding silence. Both trying to prepare themselves for what was going to happen. Nothing could prepare them no. Carmen knew that deep down. She hadn't been there in 30 years. So much would've changed. So much did change. She just didn't know it.

"We're getting close," Carmen said. She was shaking on the inside but she smoothed her clothes through her hair into a pony tail and put her heels back on.

Logan nodded as he followed her into the woods. An armed man stood facing away from them. Carmen motioned Logan to wait and put her finger over her mouth signaling silence. Logan was amazed at how quiet Carmen was. He watched her and before his eyes Carmen changed into a more believable 20-year-old and whispered into the guard's ear. Logan tensed and waited to see what the guard would do. He looked around shouldered his gun over his back and smiled at Carmen. She wrapped his hand through hers and Logan felt a pang of jealousy even though he knew it was an act. Carmen then looked at him as he hid behind the tree and made the number three on her hand that wasn't holding his and slashed up.

Logan got the signal. Quick as a cat he sprinted and extended his claws. Before the guard could even react Logan's claws were already through his chest and the man slid off them and layer crumpled on the soggy ground. Carmen nodded grimly and Logan took it as a sign to stay quiet and follow her. Logan sensed three other guards guarding the perimeter and signaled it to Carmen who nodded and grabbed the gun off the dead guard's back.

Carmen slipped her heels off and through them to Logan who caught them and gave her a confused look and a few choice of mouthed words. Carmen climbed the nearest tree and signaled Logan to follow her below. Carmen crept through the branches and turned into a six year-old so she could fit and still be quiet. Finally she reached the guard and stood over him on a branch. She shot him with a single silent shot and he dropped. There was no nearby trees so Carmen dropped back to the ground, changing into he normal form on the way down.

"That was really disturbing," Logan said.

"Shh," Carmen hissed but she was trying not to smile.

The next two Logan took down while Carmen distracted them. They hid behind a massive oak tree and in front of them were two guards guarding a pair of steel doors. Logan now had a gun too and they both had ammo covering their body. "Can you shoot?" Carmen whispered.

Logan snorted. "You aren't the only one who's been in a few wars." He shot down the two guards like targets and Carmen shot the cameras down.

"Those are the only cameras that would be able to see us," Carmen says.

"Wouldn't the guard watching the cameras know that they're being intruded if these are the only cameras off?" Logan asks.

Carmen's eyes widened. As if on cue the doors burst open and guard after guard come charging out. Logan's claws extend out and he runs through slashing the guns in half. Carmen follows with her gun shooting the men until she steals a knife from one of them. Her comfort zone. There are only men fighting which Carmen finds strange. She looks up to find a window where a girl with blonde hair is being pushed out the room.

Carmen sees only red. Not knowing for sure if she is being held captive like Carmen was, Carmen darts through the lines of men that are marching out and easily overtaken by Logan who keeps healing and killing everything. Bullet holes in his white t-shirt show and so do blood stains but there is no wounds.

Carmen kills everything in her path and nods at Logan who gets a break to watch her run inside. He remains as he kills the men. As Carmen steps inside the smell immediately hits her and its all she can do not to run away in fear. Suddenly Carmen sprints remembering the place as she had memorized each of the hallways when she was escaping. Carmen goes straight for the prison sail where a crowd of guards stand around a door. They see her and start shoot but Carmen is suddenly like a cat as she dodges and with her knife she throws, stabs and slashes each of the guards until they are all on the ground. They were never a match for her.

The door is locked but Carmen picks it and finds that whoever is inside has put something against it. With all her might Carmen charges the door and it pushes just enough to let Carmen slip through. Carmen walks in with her knife held near her face for protection and scans the room. All the sudden a flash of blonde hair has pinned Carmen down and all Carmen can see through a canopy of blonde wavy hair is green eyes like a snake. So bright they're almost neon.

"Who are you?" the girl growls still pinning Carmen down with her hands on her wrists and her knee on her stomach.

"Carmen," Carmen gasps still struggling under the weight of the girl. If possible her eyes narrowed even more so Carmen continued. "Me and the man outside killing the men, were coming here to destroy the base. I was once a prisoner here." Carmen looks around the room. "This was my room."

The girl sucks in a breath, jumps off of her and runs to the bed flipping it over so the wood base is bowing with tally marks. "Are these yours?"

Carmen rubs her wrists. "Yes," she says sadly.

The girl sticks her hand out showing her unbelievable muscle in her arms like a cheerleader times 10 but not an extreme body builder. "Kelsey," The girl says.

Carmen takes it and scans over Kelsey. Her blonde hair is wavy like she's been at the beach all day and her skin is tan matching the beach vibe. She's wearing a sports bra and spandex shorts showing off her muscular legs and abs. However covering her body is scars. Carmen swallows and puts her hand over her mouth in an old-fashioned way.

All the sudden running footsteps are heard and Carmen lunges for her knife and Kelsey stand up straighter watching the door. Logan comes running in. Kelsey is about to lunge when Carmen steps in front of Logan. "This is the man i was talking about, Kelsey," Carmen says.

Kelsey relaxes but remains tense around the strangers. Logan nodded at her not wanting to intrude. "The place is clear, the others that weren't killed ran," Logan sighs. He looked exhausted.

"You killed everyone here?" Kelsey asks abruptly.

"Well when you put it that way you make me sound like a criminal," Logan jokes but no smile appears on Kelsey's face. "I'm sorry." he quickly adds.

Kelsey walks toward the door and her tennis shoes squeak on the floor. Each foot is placed in front of the other with caution. Carmen and Logan watch her like a skittish tiger. Not a cat.

Kelsey is shaking now as she walks out the room. Carmen and Logan exchange worried looks but follow her as she mumbles and walks around the place in disbelief. She finally presses a door open with caution. A trigger is pulled from inside the room and goes straight through Kelsey's stomach.


	10. Chapter 10

Carmen screams. Logan catches Kelsey as she falls. Carmen runs in the room and quickly kills the remaining guards in the room with a gun. "It's my fault, I said the place was clear," Logan mutters as he holds Kelsey on the ground.

All the sudden her stomach starts to suck the blood back up. Carmen watches in horror and Logan in fascination and hope. The hole starts to close and a bullet pops out. The hole quickly turns into a scab and then turns into nothing more than a white circular scar where the bullet had gone. Kelsey gasps and her eyes flutter open.

She sits up on her elbows and breathes slowly as Logan rye to help her up but she shies away from his touch. She stands and the green in her eyes have gotten brighter. I guess coming back alive will do that to you, Logan thought.

"We need to check the other rooms," Carmen says breaking the awkward silence and jogs throughout all the rooms checking and clearing while Logan and Carmen struggle to keep up.

The second to last room makes Carmen stop and stare. In jars throughout the room are organs. In glass door freezers are vials of blood. "This is the lab," Kelsey says stating the obvious and moving on to the next with a doubtful Carmen following. The next room they walk in has cort boards everywhere with different color pin points on a world map and pictures stuck to another board with matching pins. Another board is full of everything about Carmen. Pictures. Tests. Articles. Anything. While Carmen focuses on that in silence Kelsey does he same with her own board. Logan looks at the one with the map and pins. A picture of a much younger Kelsey is pinned with a red dot and on the map it shows a red pin in the middle of Siberia, Russia. There are 4 other pins with pictures and places in the map. Everything hasn't clicked yet with Carmen and Logan's theories but Logan grabs sticking notes and matches the pictures and pins on the map. He writes the place on the sticky note, sticks it on the matching picture and finishes the rest. He also grabs all the records of Kelsey and the other kids.

"What are you doing?" Carmen finally asks as she watches Logan stuff papers into Carmen's leather back pack.

"I'm putting the rest of the kid's files in here. We have to save them. They're capturing mutants," Logan answers.

Carmen starts to protest but Kelsey cuts her off.

"Can't you see?" She asks Carmen. "They're not capturing mutants, or whatever you call yourselves," she says pointedly to Logan, her green eyes suing with light and horror. "They're making them."

DON'T MISS THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES


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